From Scratch
by Turg
Summary: He once stood at the top of the food chain,leading lesser beings with triumph. All that was now gone. He would have to start from scratch again. No matter, a King never falters after all. In the glow of the shattered moon, he would start again...Wait. Shattered Moon? Takes place after the Fall of Beacon/Higher Vampire main character.
1. Kings March

**Reviews are extremely appreciated! Don´t be shy to give your thoughts on the story.**

* * *

Fleders.

Unlike their other vampiric cousins, Fleders display a meager amount of intelligence, making them seem like mindless animals with no redeeming factors. However, while its true that they lack the ability to act in the shadows like their more intelligent brethren, they make up for it in sheer brutality.

Vicious and fast lesser vampires, these creatures have been known to gut their unfortunate prey in fits of pure rage. Rumors tell that even trained Witchers have been overwhelmed by their speed and ferocity in combat. They have been also known to use the membranes under their arms as pseudo wings, gliding silently upon those unlucky enough to be trespassing upon their hunting grounds.

Fortunately, these beasts are rarely seen in large groups and mostly prefer to hunt in solitude or in small packs. Fleders like to occupy ancient forests or abandoned cemeteries and rarely stray from their territory.

There are exceptions of course. Sometimes Fleders congregate in large numbers to migrate to different hunting grounds, but such occurrences are very rare and even then the numbers rarely reach to 20.

A gathering of hundreds? An absurd thought with extremely low chances of happening.

Unfortunately thats exactly what was happening in the Blue Mountains.

* * *

The sounds of growling and snarling filled the air as the unholy gathering of Fleders moved along the uneven paths of the Blue Mountains. Hundreds of hungry gazes scanned their surroundings, hoping to sink their fangs into something living as they marched forward in uneven gaits. Some of them had opted to climb along the cliff side, jumping from a stony wall to the next as they followed the ground group.

The moon shined brightly on the sky, casting an eerie glow on the rabid lesser vampires, a sight that could no doubt spread terror to an entire army if they were to witness it. Shockingly, this was not the most dangerous thing about the advancing horde. No, the most dangerous aspect was _who_ had gathered them all.

There was only one group of creatures that could achieve such an impossible feat. The elites among the vampiric tree.

True Higher Vampires.

"Dont fookin drop me ye daft cunts!"

Traveling at the middle of the army, sitting atop of the shoulders of two Fleders was one of these creatures.

"Why must I keep reminding ye?" The heavily accented man sighed. "Treat yer fookin King with caution!"

The two Fleders growled at him, but remained silent otherwise. While they were close being savages, even they understood the difference in hierarchy. Higher Vampires were at the top of the food chain and lesser vampires at the bottom, serving as brawn to the elite if they had a need for them.

"Fleders, always the same.." The man rolled his eyes. "Ye say one thing and after five seconds they forge-STOP STEPPING ON ME CAPE!" He growled, slapping his servants on the head.

The man was eccentric to say the least. He was very portly, border lining on obese, and was wearing an outfit that clashed horribly with the surrounding Fleder. His chubby face was pale while his cheeks were laden with spots of red make up. His lips were gleaming with red lipstick and his eyes were lined with a heavy tone of purple. His short and balding gray hair was combed neatly in a slick back style.

His legs were covered with white tights that reached to his kneecaps and adorning his feet were a pair of pointed black low shoes with gold trimmings at the top. A patterned purple waistcoat with a white shirt underneath covered the mans rather round upper body and a large black silk cape with a red lining rested at his shoulders. Finally, perched at the top of his head, was a small tiara covered with purple gems.

"Yer King had this custom made in Toussaint!" He huffed, causing the his servants to give the Fleder equivalent of a sigh. If they had the capacity to roll their eyes in frustration they would have done so multiple times already.

The Higher Vampire examined his blackened nails with a sharp look. His servants were a handful, but he would overlook their simple minded mistakes for now. A King must treat his servants with patience, even if they were daft and utterly stupid.

The sound flapping of wings found its way into the mans ear, causing him to nonchalantly look up. A bat was making its way towards him from the front of the mob. He raised a brow at the sight and slowly raised his hand in preparation.

The small creature plopped itself into its masters waiting palm. The man leaned towards the bat, staring at it in complete silence.

After a few seconds, a large grin appeared on his face.

"Excellent." He chuckled, while the bat disappeared in a puff of smoke. He clapped his hands twice, causing the entire army of savages to immediately to stop and turn towards him. Such was the power of an Higher Vampire.

"Alright listen up ye fookin wank stains!" He bellowed with authority. "This here path should takes us right into our objective!" He pointed towards the narrow path that formed a ledge in the mountain pass.

"The gate to the realm where that little witch, Francesca Findabai-ber-bull- whatever the fook her last name is, and her other tumor eared servants fled to is right there!"

He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "The plan is simple! We go there and conquer her little hidden Kingdom for ourselves." The man placed a hand on his chest and stuck his nose up. "With me ruling over ye of course."

The Fleders around him fidgeted in anticipation of the coming hunt.

He ignored the lack of praise from his servants. "Expect heavy resistance when we arrive at the gate!" He raised a finger. "Remember, the best hunter gets the honor of being me toilet attendant!" The man stood up, balancing himself atop the shoulders of his increasingly frustrated servants.

"But enough talk!" He took a deep breath..

..and let out an ear piercing screech.

The horde of lesser vampires screeched and roared in response, before turning around and charging up the path like deranged dogs.

"Yer King is expecting good resul-AATS!" He yelped in surprise when the Fleder underneath him also joined the others in the assault, causing him to fall head first into the hard ground.

"Fffok!"

* * *

On the other side, down the path of the rocky pass, stood a small rugged valley of stone hidden at the center of the Blue Mountains. This valley served as the location of the gate between the realms, the very same gate that the famed sorceress Francesca Findabair used to transport her people away from this world.

The exact location of the gate had been hidden with complex illusion spells and wards to keep any curious souls away from reaching it. Unfortunately, even the strongest spells cant resist the decaying nature of time. This had the unlucky effect of creating small gaps in the magical barrier. Gaps that their foes would gladly use to their advantage.

"Are you certain that he will come?" A soft voice inquired.

Standing at the center of the valley, right next to the spherical stone gate, stood three people.

"Positive. The fool is too prideful and mad to let this chance slip." A young woman with with green robes and a short blonde hair replied dryly, her red eyes rolling in annoyance.

"Indeed, it would be extremely out of character for him not to." The third person, a bald middle aged man wearing a witch hunter armor replied firmly.

"Oh? I did not know you knew him so well." The first person replied softly.

"Who doesn't? Every damn Higher Vampire has at least heard of him." The woman sighed. "Idiot has made sure of that with his ramblings."

"Indeed and I still cannot believe the Elder of his region hasn't kicked him out yet." The man muttered, shaking his head with a scowl.

"Because the Elder thinks he's funny. That's literally the only reason he keeps him around." The green robed woman deadpanned.

The man grunted. "That will soon change." He turned towards the first person. "If your little plan works, Francesca."

Blue eyes stared at him stoically."My people have suffered enough already, Tharcius." Francesca Findabair, Queen of Dol Blathanna, said firmly. Her red dress flowed gently in the wind as she took a single step forward.

"I will not let the mad one and his army of savages to destroy the peace that we all fought for."

Tharcius raised a brow at the claim and crossed his arms. "So you say." He glanced at the green robed woman. "Nirna, whats the situation?"

Nirna stared at the road that lead to the valley. "The Fleders should arrive right about.." She drawled and snapped her fingers with a bored look. "...now."

Her assessment was right on track as the army of rabid beasts burst out from the main road in a flurry of screeching and snarling. Their wicked eyes fell on Francesca, causing them to immediately advance towards her in murderous rage, the orders of their King flaring vividly in their mind.

"Hmm, strange.." Nirna muttured to herself, completely ignoring the advancing army.

"What?" Tharcius asked in confusion.

"He's not with the army." Nirna droned out.

"Impossible. He always likes to watch the main event, his idiotic nature wouldn't let him miss his moment of triumph. " Tharcius clenched his fists in rage. "Do not tell me that he knows of the plan?" He almost snarled out the question.

Nirna shook her head. "Absolutely not. He never learns after all."

* * *

 ** _On the other side of the valley_**

A cloud of dust streaked its way trough the rocky path.

"YOUFOOKINDARETODROPYERKINGIWILLTURNYEINTOHAGGISCHOCOLATECROISANTCU-"

* * *

"He will definitely come. Theres no point for us to stay here any longer." Nirna said with finality before turning around. "Our work here is done. We will leave it to you." She nodded at Francesca, before disappearing in a burst of red mist.

Tharcius cast one last glare towards the nearing army. "We will be counting on you to remove that pest once and for all." He then followed Nirnas example and disappeared into mist.

Francesca watched silently as the two Higher Vampires left her alone to deal with the savages. It was only natural, Higher Vampires were forbidden to kill their own kind after all. She was honestly surprised that they even bothered to help her as much as they did. They very rarely, if ever, interacted with others in their true nature. She supposed it had something to do with their rather unhinged brethren.

"OUT OF THE FOOKIN WAY THE ENEMY IS RIGHT THERE!"

Ah, there he is.

The sorceress watched as a speeding dust cloud of profanities rushed trough the Fleder.

She placed her hand on the portal, causing it to spring into life as blue arcane energies coursed trough it. Her eyes glowed blue as the elf muttered ancient incantations in concentration.

After a few seconds the mystic glow in her eyes faded.

Just in time to see the mad king lunge himself at her with terrifying speed.

"YER DEAD YE SOAP RIDDEN LITTLE-"

Francesca took a single step to the side.

Time slowed down as the Kings eyes widened in shock when the elf was replaced with a view of swirling blue energies.

Huh.

.

.

.

FRANCESCA YOU CU- He never had the time to finish his sentence as he smoothly disappeared into the portal.

The jaws of every single Fleder fell, silence filling the battlefield.

Francesca smirked. "Told them that I would not fail."

The mighty sorceress raised her hands, arcane energies flowing through them. "Well then." She said to the flabbergasted Fleder.

"Your turn is next."

* * *

 **?**

The King tumbled trough an endless whirlwind of colors and noises, his cape flapping behind him gracefully.

Well, as gracefully as it could while simultaneously choking the ever living daylights out of him.

"Francesca!" He croaked out. "I will have yer fookin head for this!"

The vampire grabbed the neck of his cape, desperately trying to undone the straps that held it in place. The witch must have casted some kind of spell on it.

"Why you little!"

He didn't even notice when the scenery around him suddenly changed, replaced with a starry night sky.

"Ha! Got it!" He yelled in triumph as the straps opened up. "No spell can best the King of the Fled-"

*CRACK*

The sound of cracking bones echoed in the sky as the mighty King fell head first onto the hard stone ground. His cape slowly glided down from the sky, landing atop of his prone body.


	2. Confusion

**Reviews are extremely appreciated! Don´t be shy to give your thoughts on the story.**

* * *

 **Ruins Of Beacon Academy**

The horde of Grimm patrolled aimlessly around the grounds of their latest and most important achievement. The shattered moon casted a soft glow on the ruins of the once grand academy, the very same that once stood against these creatures of darkness. The growls of the Grimm and the howl of the night wind were the only sounds that echoed in the air.

"Oof, me poor head.."

That changed when a grunt of pain joined them.

The unlucky vampire was currently sitting on the courtyard, right next to the small crater that his skull had once called home. He winced as he tried to apply some pressure to the large bump that rested on his head.

Had it been someone less fortunate, they would have most likely immediately perished after falling from such altitudes. Even experienced huntsman would have suffered life threatening injuries from falling head first onto the ground with the speed he had.

Fortunately, Higher Vampires are known to be very resilient against even the most grievous of injuries. Having high speed regeneration certainly helped also. However, despite the rather tanky nature of his species, the King still felt like he had been clobbered by a rampaging Rock Troll.

The vampire frowned, anger bubbling inside his being as he recalled the events that had led him here.

"Francesca." He growled as he observed his surrounding. "Does she really think that teleporting me into..." He trailed of slightly as he tried to pinpoint his location. Where had the witch sent him anyway? She did do something to the portal before he rushed in, so the odds that he was in her hidden realm were slim. No matter, he would find out soon enough. After he had finished his monologue of course.

"...Some random place in the middle of the fookin night will save her? Ye have only delayed the inevitable!" He roared to the skies. "Daft flower eating mule! Yer days are numbered when I get back there!"

He stood up slowly, the world around him spinning lightly. A King should not waste his time sitting on the ground like some filthy commoner. A sneer found its way into his royal face when he noticed that small spots of dust had desecrated his expensive outfit.

"I will have her head for this.." He muttered to himself as he dusted himself off with painstaking precision.

Grabbing his cape from the ground, the man gave it a firm shake before reattaching it to his neck. What manner of a King would he be if he did not have a cape? An absurd thought.

He gave it a dramatic flair. "Fleders! Yer King needs ye!" He ordered with a booming voice that shook the walls of the ruins.

The vampire stood with his generously sized chest puffed out and nose pointed upward as he waited for his servants to arrive. He had made the optimistic assumption that his army was transported with him.

After several minutes of standing around like an obese gargoyle, the man finally realized that this was not the case. The revelation did not come quietly.

"Ffook!"

He slapped his face in dread. That meant that the hold that he held over the Fleders as their Alpha was now broken. The savages would lose every single ounce of unity they had, scattering into the winds now that their leader was gone. All that hard work that it took for him to gather them all up and rally them, gone in seconds.

That was not even the worst part, no the worst part was that now he would be a massive laughing stock among his kin. On hindsight, maybe boasting about his victory prematurely wasn't exactly the greatest idea.

"Me fooking reputation!" He moaned in shame, the others would never let him hear the end of it. The only option he had now was to do it all over again, but he very much doubted that reaching the gate again would be even feasible. The witch must have already hidden it from his reach.

This had to be the one of the worst day of his immortal life. Never before had he felt so angry and so gutted at the same time. How could someone as grand as him fail so miserably? It was inconceivable, utterly outrageous!

He gave a deep sigh to calm his inner turmoil. For now he would have to return to his base of operations back in Velen. At the very least, he could device another plan to deal with that mouth breathing sorceress.

The disgruntled King slowly stared to walk forward with heavy steps.

"Hello! Is anyone in there!"

Only to be stopped when a pair of bright lights hit him right on the face.

"Grah! What in the name of me!?" He screeched in surprise, trying to cover his eyes with his hands. Was he being attacked by a pair of wraiths!?

"Well I be dammed.." A male voice whistled, the light shifting away slightly. "I though that I heard someone."

The King blinked his eyes, trying to make out the two blobs that stood several feet away from shapes slowly took form as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

 _Who dares!_

"Identify yourself!" The other one barked, pointing a stick with a hole towards him

Standing in front of him were two humans, or at least he assumed so, judging from their body type.

Humans. As if his day wasn't ruined enough already, now he would have to deal with these parasitic mortals as well?

They were wearing some kind of a strange body armor. Both of their heads were covered with helmets and a transparent material covered their eyes. He noticed that they both were carrying the odd sticks with holes. Humans and their trinkets, always confusing.

He growled internally, If only he had his Fleders with him to deal with these pests. He would be dammed if he lowered himself to a level of having to actually fight these humans himself. A King should not sully his hands with filth, a King only fought when it was absolutely necessary after all. He would have to find another way to deal with them.

Higher Vampires like him were the masters of integrating themselves into human society, so fooling these peasants would not be an issue for a master of speech like him.

He raised his hands. "Argh, calm yer nerves lads." He said with a grin.

The humans slowly lowered their sticks.

"Who are you?" The one that had yelled at him asked again.

"And what are you doing in an Grimm infested area in the middle of the night?" The other soldier continued.

He raised a brow. Grimm? Humans and their weird terms.

The King clasped his arms behind his back. "Well ye see-"

"Wait." The first soldier rudely interrupted him. He a took a single step forward and leaned towards him. "What in the world are you wearing." He slowly asked as he jabbed his stick towards him.

The Kings smile fell.

Oh.

He might have forgotten that he was dressed in his royal attire.

The soldier shook a little. "I-is that make up?" He continued, his professional mood cracking as he tried to contain his chuckles.

A twitch of a brow. "Maybe." The stone faced vampire replied. In any other situation he would have been rather delighted to see mortals quivering under his magnificent visage. Unfortunately, this might have been the only time in his life when he was not actively looking for attention. How irritating.

The second soldiers jaw fell a little. " A crown, you are actually wearing a crown." He deadpanned.

"Tiara." The King corrected him.

 _Ffook._

"A tiara.." The soldier sighed, punching his chuckling partner on the shoulder.

"Right. Anyway. We should get you out of here before the Grimm find us. We will question you more on the Bullhead." He turned around and started to walk towards the long path that lead out from the courtyard.

"A fucking tiara.." He muttered under his breath.

The first soldier watched as his partner left, before turning towards the King. He cleared his throat. "Right. This way, Sir..?" He motioned him to give his name.

"THE NAME BE SWINI!" He bellowed with royal authority, a force of habit.

 _Ffook._

"Rig-right." The soldier said with wide eyes. " Follow us...Swini."


	3. Hunter

**Reviews are extremely appreciated! Don´t be shy to give your thoughts on the story.**

* * *

Swinis mind was on overdrive as he followed the weirdly dressed soldiers through the stone road, purposefully lagging behind the two to buy some time. He would have to make up a cover story for his rather royal appearance, lest the mortals pester him with endless questions and doubt.

His eye twitched in frustration. They also most likely desired to know why he was in that strange location in the first place. Judging from their rather defensive reaction, it was easy to deduce that place was meant to be off limits from the general public. The King cursed his infernal luck and once again vowed to make the witch suffer for this.

The vampire glanced towards the large castle-like building that stood behind them with a raised brow. Where was he anyway?

The architecture bore a strong resemblance to the capital of the Nilfgaardian Empire, the City of Golden Towers, with their fancy spires and gaudiness. Then again, he very much doubted that the humans would just abandon it like they had this one.

Perhaps he was currently residing at one of the Empires provinces? That would certainly explain the similarities between the two. It had been many years since he last had visited that part of the world, so he wouldn't be surprised if he had missed a castle or two.

Swini frowned. Speaking of Nilfgaard, he was still waiting for an invite from the Higher Vampires of that country, he would love to mingle with his elite brethren again. He did after all get along with them rather well during his first visit, having even gifted them a painting of himself. They were so grateful that they had even forgotten how to smile.

He was brought back from his musings when one of the soldiers slowed down and moved to his side.

"So..." The human drawled. "Swini,right?" He asked with a friendly tone, clearly intending on breaking the ice between the two.

 _Ah, the chatty one. Wonderful._

"Aye, that be the name." He answered with a forced smile, eyes quickly scanning his figure.

He was still unsure what they even were. They didn't look like the fanatic Witch-Hunters or the serious Witchers, but neither did they resemble the average soldier that occupied the streets.

"Quite the unique name you have there." His escort continued. "Pretty rare to run into folks like you after the Coloring Naming scheme became dominant."

Swinis smile faltered a little bit.

Coloring Naming? This was the first time he had even heard of such a term. Must have slipped his attention somehow, humans did have a tendency of coming up with new things as the centuries went by.

Swini nodded at him. "Ye be right, many Blues and Reds walking around these days." He said with a chuckle. The terms of the humans would not deter a master of improvisation such as him so easily.

The soldier chuckled as well. "Yeah, tell me about it." He offered his hand to him in greeting.

"Names Pastel by the way."

Swini grabbed the gloved hand and gave it a firm shake. "Ah, it be me pleasure to make yer acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine." Pastel nodded at him. "Now that we now each other better, is alright if I asked you something?"

 _No. Fook off._

"Naturally laddie, whats on yer mind?" He said happily.

Pastel glanced at his partner who was currently leading their little group with a brisk pace, before turning his attention back to him.

"Whats with that outfit? The Vytal festival already went by." He asked with a lighthearted jab.

Swini groaned internally, he had no idea what the man was referring to. Vytal festival? Must have been a small event that had once again managed to avoid his ears.

No matter, it was not important at the moment. Answering the soldiers question was the priority right now.

Swini pointed at himself. "This? Its really nothing special lad." The King clasped his hands behind his back and stared forward. "For you see, I was attending a fancy masquerade in the city."

"A masquerade?" The man tilted his head in confusion. "I didn't know that they held one."

"A _private_ masquerade." Swini corrected through gritted teeth. These humans and their brain shattering curiosity would be the end of him.

Pastel stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Well, that certainly explains that." He said with another chuckle. "You certainly went all out with your outfit, it looks pretty expensive."

Swini sighed in relief. That was one hurdle down. "Aye, that it was lad."

"If you two are done chatting." The second soldier yelled from the front. " May I suggest that you continue it in the Bullhead?"

He was standing next to a strange metal box with an impatient expression on his face. "I would prefer if we left before the Grimm arrived."

 _Watch yer tone, ye sword swallowing cu-_

"Sorry." Pastel said to him as they approached the other soldier. "Teal can be rather serious and uptight, but he has a point. We should really leave before the Grimm arrive." He said seriously.

Pastel turned around and pointed at the castle. "Look. It was a miracle that we reached you in the first place."

Swini narrowed his eyes and followed Pastels gaze.

 _Again with the Grimm, what in the actual fook is a Gri-_

His jaw dropped slightly as his eyes settled on a flock of massive flying birds that circled the castle tower. They were black as the night, their bodies covered with what seemed to be bones and their eye burned with red.

"...Are those fookin demonic Griffins?" He said bluntly after staring at the abominations for several seconds.

"Griffins?" Pastel asked, confusion evident in his voice. "No, those are a pack of Nevermores, though I suppose they do look a bit similar from a distance."

Pastel motioned him to enter the metal box. "Come, we should not wait any longer."

Swini shook his head, before following Pastel inside.

Nevermores? How in the blistering hemorrhoids had he missed the existence of creatures such as these? He would really have to read a book or two to bolster his knowledge once he got back home, this was getting ridiculous.

He would first have to deal with these humans. An easy task.

* * *

 _How the fook!?_

Swini was currently pressing his face on the window of the "Bullhead" with eyes as big as plates as they soared trough the skies.

Teal stared at the King with a deadpan expression.

"Are you seriously suggesting that you never been in a Bullhead before?"

Swini turned towards the man so fast that he actually flinched a little bit.

"No!" He blurted out, his mind scrambling for a good lie. "Its just that I have never been into the whole flying thing." The vampire said with a quick shrug of his shoulders.

 _Since when did humans invent trinkets that allowed them to fly freely like a bird!?_

This day. This accursed day. He could not believe this.

Teal sighed and took a seat in front of him. "Let us continue our discussion, shall we? Could you explain to us how you stumbled upon the Grimm infested ruins of Beacon Academy." He paused for a moment. "...After attending a masquerade that was in the city?"

Swini tore his thoughts away from the flying metal box and concentrated on the man in front of him. He would need to come up with a good lie to satisfy these peasants. Why would a man like him wander from the city to the outskirts?

"I was hunting."

It was the perfect counter.

Teal froze and looked at him with an baffled expression. "Wait. You are a Huntsman?"

Swini laughed internally, he had the human by the balls.

He leaned towards Teal. "Aye, that be me profession! Nothing beats hunting in the middle of the night after a long party." That part wasn't a lie, he did enjoy going hunting with his Fleders.

" A Huntsman? Why didn't you say so from the start!" Pastel yelled from the front. "You must be working with Glynda to clear out the Grimm from the Academy then!"

Swini grinned.

"Yer correct laddie." He had no idea who this "Glynda" was, but it made his story more credible so he just rolled with it.

Teal relaxed his shoulder a little bit. "That would explain why you chose to go with that outfit, no offense, but you huntsmen can be a really quirky bunch."

He would let the insult of his royal attire slide for now. This was a moment of triumph, the mighty King had managed to manipulate these peasants like dogs.

"That were are." He said with a grin.

The King gave himself a pat on the back. Now he could finally relax. After this strange contraption arrived at their destination, he would book the fastest carriage ride and retreat to Velen.

"That makes things a lot easier then." Teal piped up, picking up a small pad from his pocket. "Just tell me your Huntsman ID, so I can check that everything is in order."

Swinis eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at that.

 _ID?_

"We have had some problems with Rogue Huntsmen before, so we often check the Huntsman database to see that the person is an actual Huntsman and not an impostor." Teal continued.

 _What the fook is an ID?_

A blanket of pure silence descended upon them.

"Arh! Sorry lad, I cant really remember it right now." Swini quickly said in desperation.

Teal stared at him with an unreadable expression. "Thats fine. Your Huntsman license works too."

...

...

...

"Its in me house."

Teal raised a single brow. "Really?"

"Aye, unfortunately."

The man lowered the pad slowly onto the ground, never breaking eye contact as he did. The sound of the Bullheads engines were the only noise in the background.

Pastel was too focused on flying that he didn't even notice the sudden chance in the mood.

"Sir, you do realize that all huntsmen must always carry their licenses when hunting Grimm?" Teal said bluntly.

Swini cleared his throat and adjusted his tiara. "Yes."

Why was he being so serious suddenly? How can hunting be such an important thing for these humans that it requires surveillance to weed out "fake" hunters? Is this a cruel joke by fate?

He would need to say something to pull the soldiers scrutiny away from him, something to lighten up the mood.

"Its a beautiful.." He glanced at the window. "...Shattered moon today!" He said with the largest grin he could muster.

Teal glared at him. "What in the world are you blabbering about now?" He started to slowly reach out towards the holstered weapon on his side.

 _Insolent human!_

Swini faltered a little bit, but kept going. "Ye were being so serious, so I wanted to lift yer spirits up by talking about the beautiful shattered moon that lights the sky toni-"

The King froze

 **"** **S҉H҉A҉T҉T҉E҉R҉E҉D҉ ҉M҉O҉O҉N҉!҉?҉"** He screeched at the top of his lungs.


	4. Revelations

"Wh-wh-why is the fookin moon shattered!?" Swini screeched, his bulging eyes focused on the unnatural sight before him.

The sheer force behind the shout was so great that it had actually flung Teal on his back. The man was currently rolling on the floor like a wounded animal, clutching his ears in pain as he tried to desperately block out the sound.

"What the hell is going on there!?" Pastel shouted from the cockpit, fear and confusion evident on his voice. His momentary lapse in concentration had caused the Bullhead to swing dangerously from side to side.

Swini tore his gaze from the window and redirected it towards Teal who was still trying to recover from his outburst. He stomped towards the downed man and pointed at him.

"Ye there! Ye little wankstain of a man!" He snarled, completely ignoring the fact that his dance of deceit had come to an rather abrupt end. "Why is the moon shattered!?"

Teal groaned in pain as he tried to reach for his weapon. "What are you talking about.." He muttered through clenched teeth.

Swini practically shook with impatience at the confused words of the soldier. "Are ye daft?" He jabbed his finger towards the window. "The moon, why is the fookin moon shattered!?"

The soldier glared at him. "It has always been like that!" Teal shouted like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Have you been living under a rock?"

Swini growled. "Ye dare insult me intelligence!?" He took a menacing step forward, nails lengthening slightly in response.

Finally reaching his weapon, Teal quickly swung it towards the enraged King. "Alright, thats enough!" He yelled with authority, pointing it at the vampires chest. "Take one more step and I will shoot!"

The King scoffed at the threat. "Waving yer wee little sausage in me face wont change anything!"

Teal slowly stood up, weapon ready to shoot at the moments notice. "Sir, don't make me repeat myself!"

Swini ignored the threat, intending on continuing his mad tirade before a thought struck him like a wagon. The words of the soldier echoed in his mind.

 _Wait a fookin second._

"...The moon has always been like that?" He droned out.

Teal raised a brow at the sudden mood change. "...Yes, why are you so keen on knowing that?" He took a step backwards to create some space between the two. "Are you drunk?"

Swinis eyes widened in shock once again. It couldn't be.

The unknown castle, strange creatures, new customs,technology and finally a shattered moon. It made a terrifying amount of sense to him.

"Say...have ye ever heard of Nilfgaard?" He drawled slowly.

A raised brow and a sigh was his response. "Nilfgaard? Never heard of it."

It was those words that sealed his fate.

Teal continued, not noticing the empty look and hanging jaw of the vampire. "You are either absolutely wasted or completely mad. Thats the only reason I can think of for your insane outburst."

"That Witch..." Swini muttered, his body starting to shake.

The soldier took another step back, sensing the sheer unfiltered hate behind those words. "Sir, I have no idea who you are referring to, but please calm down."

This was her plan all along. The Witch had done the unthinkable. She had removed his very presence from the world all together.

" **FrAnCeScA...** "

"Sir, calm down!"

It was like that despicable event all those years ago, the one that had whisked him and his brethren away. It was the Conjunction of the Spheres all over again, but this time he was the only one affected.

All his hard work and trials he had endured during those centuries. All the success and fame he had accumulated in order to rise to a position of power, to achieve everything he desired. Years of careful planning and amassing his army of Fleders.

All brought to zero after a little magic trick.

This was the greatest insult a King like him could ever receive and she had done it without even touching him. That harlot had done what many had tried in a second.

"Sir, this is the last warning!" Teal shouted firmly. "Calm down or I will have to take measures to make sure that you don't suddenly attack!"

"I have no idea whats going back there, but could you guys pipe down! You are going to attract the Grimm to us at this rate!" Pastel finally joined in, having finally regained control of the Bullhead. " I don't know about you, but I certainly would prefer to stay alive if possible!"

Teal glanced towards the cockpit. "I know that! Its just that our passenger looks to be having a mental breakdown for some fucking reason!"

Pastel groaned in response. "Seriously? What did you say to him!?"

A frustrated growl escaped Teals throat. " I just told him that the moon has always been shattered and that I had never heard about some place called `Nilfgaard`!"

" **yE tUmOR eAreD cUnT..** "

The soldier whipped his attention back to the increasingly unstable man.

"Okay, thats en-"

Swinis eyes transformed into that of a deranged beast. His sclera turning sickly yellow while his pupils grew into soulless pits of black.

" **I WILL HAVE YER FOOKIN HEAD FOR THIS!** " He screeched with the force of several Fleders, nails growing lager in the process.

The shout slammed Teal into the wall like a rag doll, the impact forcing all the air out of his lungs. He crumpled into the floor with a silent expression of pure pain.

" **YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT!** "

The windows of the Bullhead shattered into several tiny shards, their sturdy frame not strong enough to contain the vampires fury. Pastel screamed in panic as the Bullhead became a lot more unstable, the machine shaking like a leaf as it flew in a dangerous pattern.

The King glared at Teal with his monstrous eyes that oozed with hatred, his cape flapping behind him from the strong gusts of wind.

" **YER LUCKY THAT I REFUSE TO SULLY ME HANDS WITH FILTH! TREASURE THIS MERCY WHILE YOU STILL FOOKIN CAN!** "

Swini let out one final ear shattering screech of pure rage, before his entire body disappeared in a burst of purple mist. The haunting miasma quickly flew through the shattered window and into the night sky, leaving the damaged Bullhead and its crew behind.


	5. Lost

**City of Vale: Outskirts**

Now normally emotional breakdowns wouldn't be considered exactly appropriate behavior for a King such as himself. A proper etiquette is a must if one desires to lead lesser being with authority after all. Unfortunately, the current situation was very skewed towards him, so this momentarily lapse in judgment was quite understandable. Finding out that your life's work has been ruined does that to a man or a vampire in his case.

After his rather dramatic exit, the King had rocketed aimlessly through the sky like a missile made of profanities and rage, cursing the name of Francesca over and over again.

At some point during his areal ramblings, he had passed over a large wall that was protecting a city of some sorts. Had he been slightly more clear headed, he might have expressed his fascination with the seemingly unnatural oddity that apparently housed buildings as large as castles.

Too bad that he couldn't any care less at the moment. The strange architecture, light shows, odd contraptions and numerous other eye catching things, the man ignored them all. Instead, the disgruntled vampire had opted to fly into the more sparsely populated part of the city, away from prying eyes.

He found a suitable spot in a dimly lit back alley on the edges of the city. The misty form of the King stopped in front of a garbage container, swirling around rapidly like a small tornado before disappearing in an instant, revealing his body.

Without a word, he plopped himself on the impromptu seat, the container creaking loudly due to his rather generous weight.

He crossed his arms and silently glared at the wall in front of him.

What a fine mess this was. Its like the entire world had decided to turn against him in an blink of an eye.

"Insolence.." He muttered to himself for the tenth time.

The only ´good` part in this massive farce of a situation was that at least none of his kin were there to see his humiliation. Well, expect the massive army of Fleders, but those dimwitted fools didn't count. This sprinkle of good luck did not improve his mood at all. On the contrary, it made it worse for it once again reminded him that he had been essentially thrown into an unknown word like a damn drunkard.

He took a deep breath to calm his flaring temper. It would be best to lay low for a while. He had no desire to interact with the humans of this world any more than necessary, especially in his current state. Then again, he was not even sure if they were humans to begin with, hell, they could have easily been creatures that greatly resembled them for all he knew.

Whatever the case, avoiding these mortals in his ill tempered mood seemed like the best course of action. That would not be hard, he was the master of deception after all. A matter as simple as not drawing any attention was child's play to him.

He would then take the nearest carriage ride and return to Ve-

Oh right, another world.

...

...

...

"YE INSOLENT FOOKIN TART!"

Swini jumped down from his seat and grabbed the container.

"Ye would dare insult me like this? UTTERLY INSOLENT!"

He lifted the garbage container with one hand and started mauling the opposite wall with utter fury.

"You-YOU LITLE AWSGYTAFYTUADGFYT!" Swini practically foamed from his mouth as he jackhammered at the wall like a deranged fiend, trash and putrid food flying out from his impromptu weapon in a shower of grime.

After wailing at the wall for what felt like hours, Swini threw the now pancake shaped container into the empty streets with a final roar.

The King huffed and puffed, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. " *Huff*..*huff*...Plough me sideways like a peasant.." He groaned and quickly pulled a small ornate napkin from his front pocket.

"A King should never exert himself like this..." The vampire muttered while carefully tapping the napkin against his sweat covered forehead.

He glanced at the shattered moon in the sky and sighed.

"I need a drink." He droned out with a tired voice, the fire that was his temper completely extinguished. Pocketing the napkin, he sluggishly turned around and started to wander towards the streets. Different world or not, he would not be denied his alcohol, even if most beverages that the mortals consumed were piss flavored rubbish. Still, it was a better alternative to drinking blood, by the Gods human blood tasted like absolute filth.

* * *

"Juniors Club.." Swini read aloud as he stood at the front of the large establishment, the letters decorating it flickering with a red light.

The King had finally found a promising location after wandering around the empty streets for a significant amount of time. He truly hoped that this place was worth the effort. He had no desire to waste his time with low quality services.

He lazily pushed the door open and slowly lumbered inside.

The first thing that picked his attention was the design of the interior. It was a large gray room filled with strange lights that changed colors from red to white at different intervals. Four pillars surrounded the arena like room,with several people dancing at the center of it.

"What a terrible design.." Swini muttered to himself as he made his way down the stairs and towards the large counter that resided in the other end of the room.

The King circled around the arena, the less contact he had with mortals the better. Besides, the *music* that they were currently dancing must have been the worst thing he had ever heard. It sounded like a drummer playing in a cave with different pitches of sound. Utterly dreadful.

He ignored the wide eyed stares and whispers that were directed towards him. He marched over to the counter and took a seat on an empty bar stool.

"You!" Swini pointed at the bartender, a tall bearded man wearing a red vest and black gloves. "I've a throat on me and need to be pissed as a fart."

The man regarded him with a deadpan look. "What?" He asked with utter confusion, eyes scanning his outfit.

Swini groaned in annoyance. "For fooks sake, give me yer strongest stuff before I burst like a fookin balloon." He huffed.

The bartender stared at him for several seconds before giving a long sigh. " First the blondie and now this..." He turned towards the bottles. "My club really likes to attract weirdos." The man muttered, grabbing a bottle.

He turned back towards the impatient vampire. "Look, before I pour you this, I must ask you a question."

Swini raised a brow. "What?" He asked bluntly.

"Are you a huntsman?" The man asked with uncertainty. "Because that outfit of yours certainly fits one."

Swini lowered his forehead on the counter with a loud groan. "What is this obsession with hunters? Did hunters eat every single fookin animal in the damn country!?"

"Hey, just making sure, no need to get frustrated." The man tried to calm his frustrated customer. "Its just that huntsmen have been causing a lot of problems for my club lately, so I wanted to make sure that you don't just tear the whole place down." He cleared his throat. "I mean, that crown of yours kinda ma-"

"Tiara." Swini corrected him with a raised finger.

The man glanced to the side awkwardly. "..Tiara kinda makes you look like a huntsman. Those people always wear odd clothes." He finished with a forced laugh.

Swini glared at him with an extremely unamused expression.

The man stopped laughing and coughed. "Right." He poured the drink into a small glass and passed it to him. "Here, the strongest the house has to offer."

Swini grabbed the drink and chugged it down in a single gulp.

"What a fookin day.." He sighed, deflating slightly.

"Bad day?" The barkeep asked as he leaned on the counter.

"The absolute worst." Swini passed the glass over to the man. "Pour me another lad."

The man did so without any objection.

The man frowned. "I can certainly relate. Have had my own share of shitty days on a rather short timetable, names Junior by the way." He introduced himself with a quick nod.

Swini downed his second drink and grimaced. "Ye humans, if that's what ye even are, and yer strange names." He drawled, completely ignoring the fact that he sounded like a madman. On a better day he would have fooled this human with his charm like a true sensible vampire should. This was not one of those days.

Junior raised a brow at that. "Do I look like a faunus to you?" He crossed his arms with a frown. "You certainly talk like one."

"What the fooks a fau- nevermind, too tired to care right now." Swini waved Junior off. The King reached over and grabbed the entire bottle from the counter with one smooth motion, causing Juniors eyes to widen in shock.

"Wait! You cant drink all that!"

"A King has no need to listen to the suggestions of peasants!" Swini declared loudly.

He placed the bottle in his mouth and chugged it down like a thirsty dog.

Junior groaned and placed a palm on his head. "You Grimm dammed idiot."

Swini threw the now empty bottle over his shoulder. "The beverages of mortals have no effect on me magnificent body!"

He then fainted.

Junior watched with a annoyed expression as his customer fell head first into the hard floor.


	6. Utter insanity

**Dreamscape**

Swini was swimming in a lake of whipped cream.

"Well." The King thought with a shrug as he took deep strokes, parting the waves as he propelled his body through the creamy goodness. "At least I got me dreams." He sighed contently.

Really, he could spend years in this dreamland if he so wished. It was just the matter of finding a cozy little crypt to rest his weary body on. It was not a bad idea. He could do literally anything he wanted to in this paradise. No earthly worries, just his little fantasy kingdom to rule over. A century or two here should lift his spirits up a little bit. After that, he would get back to the drawing board and exact his revenge on that pompous little rat of an elf. His attack would be tremendous and ruthless, of that he was certain.

He shook his head, now was not the time to get stressed out. Years of relaxation came first and foremost.

"Pam pa ram~ Pam pam pa raam~" He hummed happily, enjoying the fluffy feel the texture of cream provided against his skin. If there was one thing that the humans did right, it was coming up with this magnificent delicacy of voluptuous sweetness. This milky ambrosia was truly befitting for a King such as himself.

" **Oh my..."** A deep voice filled with curiosity and intrigue suddenly echoed in the dream. " **What do we have here?** "

"W-wot!?" Swini shouted in shock, almost choking on the cream as he did. "Who dares to invade me own fookin dream!?"

" **You are certainly an anomaly.** " The voice continued with a deep rumble that shook the entire dreamworld that he had carefully constructed.

The fake sky rippled violently before a large crack formed on its surface.

" **Come. We have much to discuss.** "

The crack tore itself open,revealing a gaping hole of darkness.

Swini screamed in surprise as his entire body was suddenly being sucked towards the maw at alarming speeds. "Wait! Ye cant do this to me!" The King screeched while flailing his limbs in a futile attempt to escape.

" **Oh, be silent.** " The voice drawled. " **This will be over soon.** "

"Me creamy wonderla-!" Swini cried out in pure rage as his body disappeared into the waiting void.

* * *

"Aaaaaaan-UFF!"

The vampire hit the ground with an unceremonious *thump* that echoed in the never ending darkness that surrounded him.

"Ye fookin wankstain..." Swini growled as he stood up. "Interrupting a Kings dream is punishable by death!" The King said with a growl.

He sneered with indignity at the change of scenery. "Wots this supposed to be?" He motioned at the darkness with a wave of his hand. "Trying to hide yer presence? Are ye perhaps a wizard thats trying to inflirtate me mind or some other bonkers creature that just learned magic? Foolish!" The vampire harrumphed.

He observed his surroundings with narrowed eyes. "A wee mage can never hide from me gaze!"

" **Oh, but I have no intention of hiding my presence.** " An amused voice said right behind him.

"AHA!" Swini swung his body towards the sound with a manic grin. "Found ye, ye little foo-"

The Kings eyes bulged from their sockets, his breath hitching in his throat as his jaw almost hit the ground.

Standing right in front of him was a massive skull faced purple dragon with empty eye sockets. The creature towered over him, mangled wings pressed neatly its sides, its entire body coated in a ominous purple aura that oozed with a strange energy.

Needless to say that the King was left rather bamboozled by this sudden turn of events.

"Oh.." Swini muttered lamely after staring at the demonic looking creature for several seconds. He cleared his throat and quickly grabbed his tiara before hastily hiding it behind his back.

"Good day to ye!" He said with a nervous grin. "Its an honor to ´ave an magnificent creature like ye ´ere in me dreams." He gave the dragon a quick wave

The creature unleashed a deep laugh in response. " **That was a rather quick change in behavior, anomaly.** " The creature said with amusement.

The King screamed internally at the malice behind those words. "Ach, I was merely confused. I had no actually intention of insulting yer actions." Swini said with a gulp, sweat forming on his face at a rather rapid pace. "How can a humble King- I mean person be of assistance to ye?"

The dragon tilted its head before continuing. " **Well aren't we docile now? Not that it matters, it only makes things more easier for me.** "

"Easier?" Swini asked in confusion.

The dragon ignored his question, instead opting on turning its head towards the wast darkness that surrounded them.

" **Hrmp, we do not have much time.** " It grunted in irritation. " **It will not be long until my brother finds out about my whereabouts. I must act with haste**." The large creature turned its empty eyes towards him again.

"Brother?" Swini blinked owlishly.

The creature ignored the Kings confusion. " **Anomaly, listen and listen well, for I have the time to say this only once.** " The dragon said with a tone that left no room for argument.

Swini bristled at the commanding tone. _Ye fookin overgrown lizard! Ye dare command a King!? I should turn yer wings into du-_

"Of course! Me both ears are at full attention." Swini responded with a large grin and a quick nod, hiding his inner displeasure.

" **Good.** " It pointed a single claw at him before continuing. " **I have a mission for you.** "

The Kings grin was once again replaced with a confused frown. "What? A mission?"

" **Yes, a mission that will no doubt prove beneficial for the both of us should you actually succeed.** "

Swini internally glared at the creature. Why would this dragon, if the creature in front of him even was one, be interested in partnering up with a Higher Vampire like him? Something was up, he was sure of it.

"Thats..interesting?" Swini said with uncertainty.

The dragon gave another deep chuckle. " **Come now, theres no need to on guard. What I ask is really simple.** " It leaned slightly towards him. " **Besides, I know that you are not of this world, little anomaly, so theres no need for this little facade of yours.** " It tilted its head again. " **Even though it is quite amusing to observe.** "

Swinis eyes widened to the size of diner plates at the revelation. "Ye know!?" He blurted out, the crown hidden behind his back falling onto the ground.

" **Of course I do. Its is very obvious that you aren't a creation of my brother or me.** " The dragon said nonchalantly.

"...Creation?" Swini muttered dumbly, eyes still wide.

" **Has it still not dawned on you?** " The creature sighed. " **Me and my brother are the Gods that created this little world that you have been thrown in.** "

The vampire stared at him with blank eyes.

"Oh, I see" Swini nodded in understanding. He then placed his hands behind his back and started to pace around in an eerily calm manner. "Gods, huh?" The King muttered.

" **Yes. The fact that you are _not_ one of our creation is the sole reason I can interact with you so directly without my brother noticing immediatly.**" The apparent God continued with slight irritation.

Swini gave a deep sigh before turning back towards the self proclaimed God.

He then fell to his knees in a quick motion and dropped his head to the ground. "Please! Send me back to me own fookin world, I beg of you! Everything ´ere is utter insanity! MA HEIDS MINCE!" Swini practically begged. "Everyone ´ere wants to make me life difficult, and I have been ´ere less than a fookin day!"

" **Oh for the love of..** " The God muttered before lazily slamming a single massive finger on the Kings body, crushing the vampire to the ground like a fat fly.

" **Now stay silent and let me explain these things to you. Have I made myself clear?** " The God deadpanned, retracting its finger from the Kings half buried body.

" ***Crystal*...** " Swini mumbled from the ground.


	7. Clarity

"So...yer a God."

" **That is correct.** "

"And yer the lad who created those peely-wally bony critters called ´Grimm`, the same ones that I briefly encountered before coming to this town."

" **Indeed.** "

"Theres also apparently another God who also happens to be yer older brother."

" **Precisely.** "

"...Right." Swini muttered while massaging the rather large bump on his head, a small gift from the God who had generously smashed it onto the ground just a few minutes ago.

" **You are still utterly confused.** "

"I be utterly confused laddie."

The dragon groaned in frustration.

" **Are all the creatures from your dimension such thick-witted imbeciles?** "

The Kings jaw dropped at the blatant insult of his intelligence. Did this so called "God" even know who he was talking with!?

"Ye fooki-!"

The Dragon God raised a bony finger.

Swini closed his mouth with the speed of a greased lightning. He had no desire to be on the receiving end of another skull cracker, even if it meant to swallow his pride.

" **I will now explain your mission in the most simplest terms possible so that even a fool like you can understand them.** "

The God snapped its fingers, causing several objects to appear in front of Swini with a flash of dark were four of them, each taking a different shape. A crown, a lamp, a sword and a staff.

" **These lovely little things are called relics, a rather dull name for such objects of power, but my brother did always lack imagination.** "

Swini leaned towards the so called relics and stared at them with narrowed eyes. " I see...and what be the function of these ´relics´?"

The King was no stranger to trinkets such as these. He had seen his fair share of magical artifacts during the centuries and had even collected a few for his personal collection back in Velen.

" **Powers beyond your wildest dreams.** " The dragon replied with with a smug tone.

Now that had piqued the Kings interest.

"Powers ye say?" He hummed while massaging his chin(s) in thought. "Do go on."

" **With pleasure,time is short after all.** "

Swini briefly wondered how the dragon could tell the passage of time in a dreamworld. One of the many perks of being a God he presumed.

" **Your mission, my other worldly associate, is to gather all these relics and bring them together.** "

Swini listened intently and slowly nodded. That sounded simple enough, a straightforward goal of gathering artifacts.

" **All of them are currently scattered around the world, specifically in the four Kingdoms of Remnant called Vale, Mistral, Vacuo and Atlas.** "

The God snorted. " **The servant of my brother hid them so that no one else could use them, but that will change now.** "

It continued. " **Find the relics and bring them together. If you manage to do this, then power and glory beyond measure shall be your reward.** "

The vampires eyes widened in surprise. "Power and glory?" He asked with barely contained glee and hope.

" **It will all be yours if you succeed.** " The Dragon assured with a slight bow of its head.

Swini let out a laugh of triumph that sounded like a horrible mixture of burping sprinkled with a side of gagging.

"Burah-hahaha! Magnificent! Stupendous!" He grinned while clapping his hands rapidly.

" **Indeed, but do not be so quick to celebrate. The servant of my brother is already on the move and his goal is to retrieve the relics as well.** " The God said with authority.

Swini stopped his gleeful moment with a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"

" **Yes. That is why you must act with haste and gather them before that pathetic servant and his minions arrive.** "

The Gods eyes narrowed. " **Your first move is to go to the Kingdom of Mistral and find the relic of knowledge before they do.** "

"Hmrh, and if fate decides to be a wee little pain and they find the relic before me grabby hands get there?" Swini asked with a grimace, his mind going back to the events that had brought him to this land.

He would have Francescas head, of that he was sure.

The God snorted. " **Do what you have to, use every method at your disposal to get it back.** "

It leaned towards Swini.

" **Kill them if you must.** "

A bony finger reached out and poked Swini on the belly mischievously, the vampire letting out a pained "oof" as all the air was forced out of his lungs.

" **I presume that a being of your... _stature_ would have no problem in handling a few sniveling humans if the need arises.**" The God continued, amusement oozing from its words.

"Oh yes!" Swini quickly answered while trying to catch his breath. "Dealing with inferior creatures is me specialty after all."

" **Excellent.** "

"But.." Uncertainty washed over the Kings face, his early excitement making way for doubt. "Why do ye want to help me in the first place? This be rather generous of ye, considering I'm not even from yer world."

The dragon gave him an empty stare.

Swini started sweating bullets again. "Things like these always have a price, is what yer humble associate is trying to say here." He said with a gulp as he pointed at himself. "What are ye gaining from this? Surely a God such as yerself has a deeper reason than just helping me out here."

After a few excruciating seconds of staring, the God finally answered. " **I do have a reason naturally, but that is something you don't need to concern yourself with at this very moment.** " It answered calmly.

Swini massaged his hands together anxiously. "But knowing yer goal as well would be-"

" **Question my words again and you will spend the rest of eternity wandering this foreign world alone as someone who will never amount to anything.** " A growl escaped from the dragons throat.

The Kings eyes widened in fear and terror.

" **Choose wisely now. Either you accept our deal and fulfill your dreams or be forgotten by the world.** "

"I accept! I accept!" Swini blurted out immediately, his voice filled with despair. "Forgive me! I will never question yer actions again!"

A satisfied hum echoed in the darkness. " **Good. Keep it that way.** "

It once again glanced at the distance.

" **Our time is at its end.** " Annoyance filled its words, before turning its gaze back to the groveling vampire. " **I would have liked to explain more about your quest, but you must make do with what you have.** "

It raised its hand and made a large fist.

" **Go to Mistral and find the relic of knowledge first. That is your priority.** "

"...What are ye doing?" Swini asked with growing trepidation.

The dragon completely ignored him.

" **Oh, before you go, there is one more thing I must say.** "

"Why are ye making a fist."

" **There is a third faction that is after the relics. Be vary of them.** " It said with with utter seriousness, before bringing its massive fist down towards the vampire.

"NONONONOWAAAAI-!" Swini screeched with utter horror, which was rather rudely interrupted by the Gods fist reuniting with his head.

* * *

"Uugh, me fookin head.." Swini muttered drowsily as his eyes slowly opened, only to immediately close them when bright sunlight assaulted his vision, causing him to groan in pain and discomfort.

"Finally awake huh? Well I really shouldn't say ´finally` considering the fact that I thought you would be never waking up again." A familiar deadpan voice commented from the side.

"Wh-uh?" Swini blurted out in confusion, ignoring the sharp pain in his head.

"You really are something, you know?" The voice continued.

The vampire slowly forced himself into a sitting position, hand clutching his head, while groggily turning towards the voice.

"Wait.." He blinked several times, trying to get a clear sight of the person, who was currently sitting on top of a crate. "Yer that.."

"Yes, the guy who gave you his strongest and most expensive drink in the entire bar." Junior said with irritation, arms crossed as he glared at the vampire. He was also currently holding a rather large cigar.

Swini snapped his fingers lazily in recognition. "Oh, yer the master of alcohol from yesterday." He muttered absentmindedly. "...What happened?"

Juniors eye twitched. " First you drank my entire bottle of `Death Stalkers Venom` like a total moron, which should have melted your liver about ten times over by the way."

"It certainly feels that way..."

"Then you proceeded to violently thrash around on the floor for several hours, while occasionally projectile vomiting and muttering something about ´cream`."

He took a puff from his cigar.

"I then finally dragged you out to this back alley and went to clean up the huge mess that you left on the floor." He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Imagine my surprise when I found you still alive when I came back."

Swini stared at the bar owner with unfocused eyes, his tiara slowly sliding off from his head and falling to the cold ground.

"I guess the drink was a wee bit strong after all."

"That bottle was worth over 10 000 lien and yes, it was quite strong." Junior said bluntly.

"Okay laddie, wait a second.." Swini droned out as he started to rummage through his pockets.

After a few seconds of cursing and muttering to himself, Swini finally pulled a large violet coin purse from his pocket.

"Here lad." He threw the purse at Junior, who easily caught it with a questioning look. "Take what ye need, but remember to return the purse, its me favorite."

"...Whats this?" Junior asked with a raised brow.

"Money." Swini replied as he picked his tiara from the ground.

Junior opened the purse and took out a small gold coin.

"Did you just give me coins as a payment?" He deadpanned as he examined the currency.

Swini massaged his eyes in frustration. "Of fookin course, ye dense gutter dweller of an alcohol master. Yer acting like ye have never seen Novigradian crowns before."

"The Novi-what now?"

Swini was about to continue his ramble, but immediately stopped when his thoughts caught up with him.

"Ooooh.." The King muttered in realization as he visibly deflated."Different place.."

Junior stared at him like he had grown a second head. "Did you rob a museum before barging into my bar? This type of currency hasn't been used in a very long time." He twirled the coin around his fingers. "Not since the times of the old kingdoms anyway." He rolled his eyes. "Though I shouldn't be even explaining these things to you in the first place."

Junior tossed the purse back to Swini, hitting him right on the head and causing him to drop his tiara again.

"Ow." Swini mumbled nonchalantly.

"You must be the most strangest customer I have ever had. Well, excluding that one madman from Mistral, but still." Junior said with a sigh, having a good feeling that he wouldn't be seeing those 10 000 liens any time soon if he just kept asking politely.

The Kings ear twitched.

"Hrm?"

"Speaking of Mistral." Junior continued as he took another puff from his cigar.

Another twitch.

 _Wait a fookin second._

"Thanks to you, I now have to order a new bottle of ´Death Stalkers Venom` from all the way over there." He said with irritation.

Junior tossed the cigar over his shoulder while slowly reaching towards the gun hidden on his back pocket. "Do you have any idea how expensive it is to get something as valuable as that from Mistral to here?"

He glared at Swini. "Now, if I were you, Id suggest that you pay up fully for that bottle." He stopped for a moment. "With lien this time and not some antiquated coins that you most likely stole while drunk."

"Mistrals a real place?" Swini carefully asked as he stood up with wobbly legs.

Junior groaned in utter frustration. "Okay, scratch that. The alcohol must have done something to your brain. First the coins and now this? How do you forget one of the four Kingdoms?"

Swini rushed towards Junior with such speed that the latter didn't have time to even blink

"It be all true then, laddie!" Swini shouted, eyes wide.

"GAH!" Junior yelped in surprise, almost falling down from his seat. "How did you-!?"

Swini placed both of his hands on the flabbergasted mans shoulders. "There was a dragon in me head!"

"What!?"

"He told me things! About gods, relics, the four kingdoms..." He leaned towards Junior,their faces almost touching from the close proximity. "...about Mistral!"

Junior could only blink in utter disbelief and confusion. "..What!?"

"He then fisted me laddie and sent me back here!"

Junior quickly backed away from the rambling man. "Okay too much information!"

"It wasn't just a dream, it actually happened." Swini said in wonder and awe, a small smile appearing on his face. "I still got a chance!" A sigh of relief escaped from his lips. "Thank me luck."

He pointed at Junior. "Rejoice human, for ye are witnessing the future ruler of yer world!" Swini proclaimed in triumph, turning his gaze towards the sky.

"I heard yer loud and clear dragon!" He shouted to sky, cape waving in the wind. "Yer trusted associate will get those relics in no time!" He laughed loudly.

At the side, Junior visibly cringed at the revolting and unnatural sound.

"To Mistral me journey takes!"

The excited King turned around and immediately sprinted towards main the street, giggling like a madman the entire way.

Junior could only watch in shock and bewilderment as his oddly dressed and portly customer disappeared around the corner with such swiftness than a man of his size had any right to.

"What the fuck just happened."


End file.
